Ebel
EBEL was established by husband and wife Eugène Blum and Alice Lévy in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, in 1911. Named as an acronym for "Eugène Blum Et Lévy," EBEL built a reputation for durability and reliability by supplying watches to the British Royal Air Force during World War II. Over the years, the brand was acquired by LVMH and currently the Movado Group.
Ebel Caliber No. 59 (1964)
This delicate, exquisite ladies' watch, crafted in the mid-1960s, was a heartfelt Mother's Day gift from my grandfather to his wife on behalf of their children. The date, 11th May 1964, is discretely engraved inside the case. Made from 18k gold, both the case and bracelet lend it the feel of fine jewellery rather than just a watch.
Technical Information
Ligne/Size
5.7‴
Jewels
17
Frequency
21,600
Movement Type
Manual Wind
Power Reserve
42 hours
Restoration Notes
The minuscule dial on this watch meant super tiny parts that were arranged on top of each other instead of spread out flat. This demanded some creative fine motor planning and serious dexterity! The watch was not working when I received it. Also, while I was not able to source Ebel parts, I was able to identify two alternative movements with the same size parts - the Fave Leuba 501 and Zodiac cal. 12.
Cleaning and Polishing
Troubleshooting
Cannon Pinion - Too Loose
At first, the cannon pinion was too loose, and so I created a jig to carefully tighten it.
Cannon Pinion - Too Tight
Then it became too tight! So, I used a smoothening broach to loosen it ever so slightly.
Broken Barrel Wheel
The mainspring barrel had a unique design, with an intermediary wheel soldered on top of it. This was broken and needed replacement.
Broken Wheel Pivots
The escape wheel and third wheel pivots were broken and needed replacement.
Broken Balance Pivot
The balance complete needed a replacement, so I sourced one from a Zodiac cal. 12 movement. Perfect fit!
Reassembly and Lubrication
Moebius 9010 on 4th and 5th wheel pivots, and on Incabloc jewels; Fix-o-Drop Epilame on escape wheel and pallet jewels; Moebius 9415 on pallet exit stone; Moebius 9501 for cannon pinion and keyless works; Moebius 8300 on mainspring barrel wall; Moebius D5 on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd wheel pivots.
Regulation
Timegrapher readings at full wind, across five positions - DU, DD, CU, CD, and CL:
Delta Rate: 22 s/d
Mean Rate: +15 s/d
Amplitude Range: 223° to 304°
Mean Amplitude: 260°
Beat Error Range: 0.1 to 0.4 ms
After one full wind, the watch worked for a total of 45 hours.
